Asperger's Syndrome is a lifelong disorder characterized by severe difficulty in social communication, perception of the surrounding world and a stereotypical, repetitive set of interests and occupations.
Asperger's syndrome is one of the common developmental disorders. Thanks to statistics, it has been established that boys are much more likely to suffer from Asperger's syndrome (about 80% of all reported cases).
Some scientists argue that this syndrome proves the existence of a significant difference in the functioning of the brain of men and women, and therefore men are more often brilliant and talented.
It has been established that this mental disorder was noted in Einstein, Newton and the modern director Steven Spielberg.
Views
The term Asperger's Syndrome was coined by psychiatrist Lorna Wing, who called social communication disorders and adaptation in honor of the pediatrician and psychiatrist Hans Asperger, who dealt with children with these dysfunctions psyche.
Asperger himself called this syndrome autistic psychopathy.
.Until now, there is no consensus on how to call this symptom complex: a disorder or a syndrome. It has been proposed to rename Asperger's syndrome to autism spectrum disease with a subdivision by severity. Asperger's Syndrome has a lot in common with autism, but is also fundamentally different from it.
Causes of the syndrome
The exact causes of Asperger's syndrome have not been established, but it is assumed that it has the same origins as autism.
The main role in the development of this disorder is attributed to heredity (genetic factor). There are many cases when members of the same family have, to varying degrees, Asperger's syndrome.
It is also believed that the occurrence of Asperger's syndrome is influenced by biological and teratogenic (harmful) factors that acted on the woman's body at the very beginning of pregnancy (there is a violation of the formation of neurofunctional connections in brain).
In addition, exposure to environmental factors after birth is assumed, but this theory has no scientific confirmation.
Manifestations of Asperger's symptom
Asperger's Syndrome is a "hidden disorder", and this indicates that it is impossible to outwardly suspect that someone has this disease. Asperger's syndrome is characterized by the well-known "triad of disorders":
- social communication
- social interaction
- social imagination.
It is understood that children with Asperger's Syndrome differ significantly from other children. Moreover, the child himself with this syndrome sooner or later notices that he is not like the others.
Social intercourse or communication
First of all, this is expressed in the difficulty of understanding gestures, intonations and facial expressions (that is, difficulties in verbal communication).
A child with Asperger's Syndrome does not put different shades of tone in the conversation into his speech, and does not understand the same in other children.
A seemingly sick child seems indifferent and incapable of emotions. This leads to communication difficulties and an inability to make friends.
Such children cannot figure out how to choose a topic for a conversation, and if it did take place, they cannot understand that it is time to finish it or it is not interesting for the interlocutor.
A child with Asperger Syndrome may use complex words and sentences without fully understanding their meaning, but nevertheless confuse the interlocutor with their knowledge.
Also, such children are characterized by a literal understanding of one or another phrase, therefore they do not have a sense of humor, do not understand the veiled turns of speech (metaphors, idioms), irony and sarcasm.
People with Asperger Syndrome do not understand the unwritten social laws (for example, you cannot violate the space, that is, standing too close to the interlocutor) or can start a dialogue on an unpleasant topic for comrade. They perceive the people around them as unpredictable and confusing.
Social interaction or collaboration
It is very difficult for people with Asperger Syndrome to form and maintain friendships. They do not understand that friendship requires concepts such as the ability to wait, empathize and empathize, support each other, discuss not only topics that interest them, but also those that are interesting to a prospective friend.
Incorrectness, and often tactlessness in communicating with others, pushes people away from them. Over time, people with Asperger Syndrome can learn behaviors and friendship concepts that are more likely not based on understanding of all of the above, and on intuitive copying (such patients have a very subtle mental organization) others of people.
Often, patients with Asperger's syndrome offend others with their statements, themselves not wanting and not understanding it.
Social imagination
People with Asperger Syndrome often have rich imaginations and imaginations. Such patients often become famous scientists, writers, musicians.
Their only difference from healthy people is that it is difficult for them to imagine and predict other variants of the ending.
It is difficult for them to understand the points of view of other people, since they are different from their own.
They constitute a certain difficulty and ability to interpret the feelings, intonations and thoughts of other people, since they do not perceive body language (gestures and facial expressions).
People with Asperger Syndrome are unable to play creative or role-playing games, and find it difficult to pretend and pretend to be someone. They give preference to those games and activities that require logic and sequence of actions (solving puzzles, math problems, crosswords).
Other signs of Asperger's syndrome
- Love of order
Considering the world chaotic and chaotic, people with Asperger's Syndrome try to establish a strict and definite order in their little world. They create certain rigid rituals and rules, strictly complying with them and forcing others to obey it.
For example, the route to school or work should be the same, without any deviations or delays. Any shift in the rules they have created can lead to severe anxiety, and even depression (rearrangement in the schedule of lessons, change in the movement of the bus of a certain route).
- Narrow and obsessive interests
Individuals with Asperger Syndrome tend to be overly focused and obsessed with collecting, hobbies, and other hobbies. Moreover, these interests are so narrow that they are incomprehensible to others.
For example, they can collect a collection of African tribal hymns, get carried away and analyze train schedules, and more. Most often, interests are reduced to vehicles, computers, mathematics, astronomy and the dinosaur. Their knowledge of the topic they are interested in is so deep that they can easily and brilliantly work in a specific area.
- Sensory disturbances (vision, hearing, smell, taste, touch)
Individuals with Asperger Syndrome are very sensitive and sometimes intolerant of noise, bright lights, strong odors, and certain types of food. For example, the ticking of a clock, which a normal person does not perceive after a few minutes, becomes torture for them.
- Physical clumsiness
Children with Asperger Syndrome are lagging behind in skills that require agility, such as swimming, riding on a bicycle and face difficulties in the development of fine motor skills (write, cut with scissors, etc.).
Their coordination of movements suffers, the gait can be staggering and unstable. Such individuals are unable to perform a specific sequence of small movements (for example, knitting or crocheting).
- Sleep problems
People with Asperger's Syndrome often have difficulty sleeping (trouble falling asleep, awakening at night, and getting up early in the morning).
Diagnostics
Asperger's syndrome is diagnosed in the interval from 4 to 11 years. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the less traumatic it is for both the family and the child.
A group of specialists from various fields (neurological, genetic examination, intellectual tests, psychomotor skills, determination of the ability to independent life).
In addition, there is a compulsory conversation with the parents and with the child himself (in the form of games and communication).
Treatment for Asperger's Syndrome
The correction and supervision of people with Asperger's syndrome is carried out by a psychiatrist. He determines the tactics of management and non-drug therapy in each individual case of Asperger's syndrome. In the treatment, special trainings and tests are used to adapt a person to social life, which teach them to make friends, maintain and develop relationships with people around them.
Psychotherapy is educational and psychological in nature, which allows people with Asperger Syndrome to learn to live with their diagnosis, deal with anxiety and fear, and even start a family.
Drug treatment is practically not used due to pronounced side effects, and is prescribed only in case of concomitant diseases (depression and anxiety neurosis).
Forecast
The prognosis for Asperger's syndrome is relatively favorable, and in some cases favorable.
The prognosis depends on the timely diagnosis and psychotherapeutic measures. About 20% of people, becoming adults, are deprived of the "status" of a person with Asperger's syndrome. Moreover, science knows cases that some individuals with Asperger's syndrome became famous scientists, brilliant mathematicians, and some even received the Nobel Prize.
